Champions Cup: Ulster 52 Exeter Chiefs 24
It took a while, but Ulster made it through to the Challenge Cup’s last 16 with this eight-try victory and may mathematically yet go one better into the Champions Cup come Sunday.
Cormac Izuchukwu led the way with a hat-trick of tries, Ulster’s bench making an impact as they pulled away in the second half and they now must wait to find out the result from Sunday’s meeting between Bordeaux and the Sharks regarding the Champions Cup.
The Chiefs, with essentially a shadow side, started like a train, win an excellent try after just three minutes following a loose pass, the visitors line-busting several times before Will Haydon-Wood’s cross-kick saw Paul Brown-Bampoe over the line.
Haydon-Wood added a great conversion and Ulster looked shell-shocked from the unexpected opening.
It then got worse for the hosts, as Ross Vincent burst through a ruck and ran in with tremendous pace from distance, scorching an imploding Ulster defence after 13 minutes. Haydon-Wood was unable to convert after Vintcent’s solo run to the corner.
Just after the 20-minute mark, Ulster found a way on to the scoreboard, coming from a penalty to the corner with Izuchukwu finishing it off after several carries in the move. Nathan Doak converted to cut the lead to five points.
Then after a smart kick towards the corner by Jack Murphy led to Exeter being penalised for taking too long at the breakdown, David McCann barrelled through off a scrum with his second bite at the line. Doak, though, up against the shot clock missed the extras.
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But the chaotic nature of the game continued as the Chiefs went straight up the park, Stewart Moore caught at the back over a kicked through ball, spun it right and again smashed through a non-existent defence at the ruck, lock Rus Tuima getting through.
Haydon-Wood saw the ball fall from his tee and drop-goaled only to miss the extras, but the Chiefs were now back in front by 17-12.
The scores were levelled again three minutes before the break when Nick Timoney’s power saw him surge through an initial tackle off Rob Lyttle’s pass and make the line though Doak, once more, was wide from the left of the posts.
With just two minutes to go in what had been a manic first half, Ulster nearly got through again when Michael Lowry charged down a kick but the winger was unable to regather and knocked on just as Doak pounced and headed over the line.
As it was, the teams were tied on 17 points at the midway point.
On 48 minutes, Ulster had the bonus point via Rob Herring and a driving maul. Doak converted to make it 24-17.
Ulster had to wait until the 65th minute to stretch things further through Izuchukwu, which sub-John Cooney converted, and he did the same for Ben Carson’s 68th minute solo run.
Try number seven arrived with McCann’s second, Cooney doing the needful once more.
With three minutes to go, Izuchukwu ran clear for his hat-trick, Cooney doing the needful to make it 52-17, though Zack Wimbush scored a soft score for the Chiefs to cut the margin.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 2 mins: Brown-Bampoe try, Haydon-Wood con 0-7; 13: Vintcent try 0-12; 20: Izuchukwu try, Doak con 7-12; 26: McCann try 12-12; 29: Tuima try 12-17; 37: Timoney try 17-17; Half-time 17-17; 48: Herring try, Doak con 24-17; 65: Izuchukwu try, Cooney con 31-17; 67: Carson try, Cooney con 38-17; 73: McCann try, Cooney con 45-17; 77: Izuchukwu try, Cooney con 52-17; 79: Wimbush try, Skinner con 52-24.
ULSTER: S Moore; W Kok, B Carson, J Postlethwaite, M Lowry; J Murphy, N Doak; E O’Sullivan, R Herring, S Wilson; I Henderson (capt), C Izuchukwu; J McNabney, N Timoney, D McCann.
Replacements: R Lyttle for Kok (4 mins), J Flannery for Moore (49), K Treadwell for Henderson, J Cooney for Doak, T Stewart for Herring (all 57), C Reid for O’Sullivan (60), C Barrett for Wilson (69).
EXETER CHIEFS: H Skinner; B Hammersley, J Hawkins, W Rigg, P Brown-Bampoe; W Haydon-Wood, N Armstrong; W Goodrick-Clarke; J Innard (capt), J Iosefa-Scott; R Tuima, C Tshiunza; M Moloney, R Capstick, R Vintcent.
Replacements: M Norey for Innard, J Roots for Iosefa-Scott, K Blose for Goodrick-Clarke (all 49 mins), J Dunne for Tuima (52), Cairns for Armstrong (55), L Pearson for Maloney (62).
Referee: H Davidson (Scotland).
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